Fuel-supply system for aircraft and similar apparatus



G. H. CUHTISS AND H. KLECKLER. FUEL SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR AIRCRAFT ANDSIMILAR APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17. 1920.

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APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 1920.

PatentedAug. 9,1921.

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Q-vweutow GLENN I-I .CURTI55 m c LE- a?) Clitouwu HENRY KLE K R G. H.CURTISS AND H. KLECKLER; FUEL SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR AIRCRAFT AND SIMILARAPPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 1920.

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0F GARDEN CITY, AND HENRY KLECKLER, OF HAMIMONDSPORT,

' NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS T0 CURTISS AEROIPLAN'E AND IVIOTOR CORPORATION, OF

GARDEN CITY, NEW YORK,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FUEL-SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR AIRCRAFT AND SIMILAR APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ali a 1921.

Original application filed. December 23, 1916, Serial No. 138,633.Divided and this application filed July 17, 1920. Serial No. 397,092.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that (JlLENN H. GUn'rIss andHENRY KLECKLER, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively,at Garden City, in the county of Nassau, State of New York, andHammondsport, county of Steuben, State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Fuel- Supply Systems for Aircraftand Similar Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a division of application Serial Number 138,633 filedDecember 23rd, 1916. The invention relates to improvements in fuelsupply systems for aircraft and similar apparatus and more particularlyto apparatus including a motor, a motive-fuel service tank, supplytanks, the base end of each of which is elevated above the correspondingend of the service tank, a gravity feed line connection between thesupply tank (or tanks) and the service tank, a gravity tank elevatedabove the motor, and a connection and the gravity tank for continuouslyelevating fuel to the gravity tank during motor operation. From such anarrangement adequate fuel supply to the motor under all operatingconditions is assured. Moreover, where the several tanks arecollectively grouped about the center of gravity of the apparatus, themajor item of variable or exhaustible load is so related to theapparatus in its entirety that little or no disturbance in balance isbrought. about by partial or total fuel consumption.

In the drawings, wherein like characteristics of reference designatelike orv corresponding parts,

Figure 1 is a front-end elevation (with a portion of'the wings of theapparatus removed) of a flying boat embodying the improved fuel supplysystem hereinafter more fully disclosed,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the engine section of the aircraft orapparatus showing the relative arrangement of the supply tanks, theservice tank, the gravity tank and the several feed line connections,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mid section of the flying boat hullillustrating the motive fuel tank arrangement,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of that portion of the hullillustrated in Fig. 3,

between the service tank gig. 5 is a transverse section of the hull, an

Fig. 6 is a detail section of the gasolene gage.

s the structural relation of the various parts of the flying boat per 86have nothing whatever to do with the invention, only a brief descriptionof the boat as a whole will be given. Suffice it to say thatthe flyingboat illustrated in Fig. 1 is of more or less conventional design. Itcomprises upper and lower supporting surfaces 41 and 42, i nterplanewing struts 49, a hull 35, motors or, post frames 51. Preferably themotors are situated between the supporting surfaces respectivelysymmetrically at opposite sides of the longiti-idinal vertical plane ofthe fore and aft aXiS of the hull.

The motive fluid tanks (the number of which may be varied) for thepropelling power plant are located preferably interiorly of the hullsubstantially symmetrically about the vertical plane of the center ofgravity. These tanks (see Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive) include a service tank68 and a plural numberv of supply tanks for connection with the servicetank 68 by upper and lower pipe lines 7 O and 71. The upper pipe line 70need only be used when the tanks are constructed air tight. The servicetank 68, or rather its bottom end, is located or disposed in ahorizontal plane somewhat below the horizontal plane of eachcorresponding end of the several supply tanks 69. By this arrangement agravity fuel feed from the supply tank to the service tank is obtained.

Above the horizontal plane of the power units 57 a gravity feed tank 71of appro and suitable motor, supports or wing Upon the top of theservice tank 68 the 74 is mounted. The fan of the pump is locatedwithout the hull and in the line of air rush, the pump in its entiretybeing founded upon and removable with the tank.' From the tank 68 by wayof the fan pump pump 74 and a lead 7 5 connecting said pump to thegravity tank 72, fuel is conveyed to metrically about the center thegravity tank continuously during motor operation. From the tank 72"byway of leads 76 and 77, the fuel is carried by gravity to the respectivemotors orpowerl units. The overflow of the tank 72 the service tank.

As an auxiliary, fuel may be pumped from the service tank 68, by. hand,to the gravity tank 72. To this end the hand pump 79 and'leads'80 and 81are provided. Through operation of the hand pump, fuel is drawn from theservice tank and conveyed by way of the leads 80 and 81 to the tank 72.Said lead 81, throughout a portion of itslength, underlies a diagonalbrace 82 for the engine section. This brace, as illustrated in Fig. 2,comprises substantially alined sections arranged to extend respectivelyfrom the rear center wing strut 67 in the horizontal'plane of the enginebase forwardly equidistant from itsof the panel beam 54 ends, and fromsaid panel beam forwardly for anchorage interiorly of the ull above itshydroplaningbottom. The tanks, it will e noted, underlie said brace 82throughout the major portion of its length, and where the brace extendsinto the hull the tanks are grouped about it.

Interiorly the hull 85 is divided transversely by bulkheads 151 and 152,the bulkhead 151 underlying the forwardwing beam 54 of the enginesection, and the bulkhead 152 underlying the rear wing'beam thereof.Three cockpits are .thus provided. .The

forward cock it is designed to accommodate a fportion' of th e flyingcrew andone or more the motive fluid tanks, the intermediate cockpit isdesigned to accommodate the bulk of variable or exhaustible load, andthe rear cockpit is designed to accommodate the pilot. The entire load;is thus distributed symof gravity ofthe apparatus with the variable loadin the immediate vicinity of the'vertical plane thereof.

,The arrangement of the, tanks is such that they occupant of the forwardcockpit, should occasion demand, may galn access to any one or more ofthe tanks conveniently, as it will be noted in F ig. 3 that an aisle orpassageway is formedat one side of the two for- Wardly located tanks,the aisle or assageway being situated at one side of the ore and afteenterline of the hull .or body.

- from the rear cockpit of the boat. If ole-,

In Fig. 6 isilIustrated afloat actuated gage 170 for the service tank68.At one i end it is extended withoutthe hull of the craft so that it canbe conveniently viewed sired, any othersuitable. t of, g m y besubstituted, I H

supply is taken care of by lead 78 inter-connecting said tank 72 and toany and all types of aircraft or similar apparatus and that the systemis in no wise limited to/itsuse on flying boats. The mannor in which thegravity. tank is supported,

as well as the remaining number of tanks and motors, of the tanks andmotors with respect to the hull Or body and with respect to each otheris, however, important. The extent to which the system may be modifiedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention may be determined orascertained by reference to the claims.

What is claimed is: I

1. In an apparatus of the type set forth, the combination of aframework, 3, motor, a motive fuel service tank carried by theframework, supply tanks likewise carried by the framework, the base endof each supply tank being elevated above the corframework, supply tankslikewise carried by the framework, the base end of each supp y tankbeingelevated above the corresponding end of the service tank and the tankscollectively being situated in the vi-- cinity of aline passing throughthecenter of gra'vlty of the apparatus, a gravity feed line connectingthe supply tanks with the is immaterial, the arrangement 1 service tank,a gravity tank elevated abovei the motor, and a connection between theservice tank and the gravity tank for continuously elevatingfuel to thegravity tank during operation of the motor.

3. In an apparatus of thentype set forth,

.the combination of a framework, a motor, a motivev fuel service tank,

framework, supply tanks likewise carried by the framework, the base endof each supply tank being elevated above the corresponding end of theservice tank and the tanks collectively being situated in the vicinityof a line passlng vertically through the center of gravity of theapparatus, a gravity feed line connecting the supply tanks with theservice tank, a avity tank elevated above the motor,..an" a tank forcontinuously elevatingfuel to 'the gravity tank during operation of themotor/ carried by the connection between the service tank and the.gravity. -1 '20 In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures.In conclusionit m "y be noted that the fuel system hereinf displosed isadaptable

